


Hands-Off Learning

by JQ (musicmillennia)



Series: Smol Dragon Barry 'verse [2]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Baby dragons - Freeform, Barry is Cute, Dragons, Flight Training, Fluff, Gen, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:16:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6672097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/JQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baby Barry learns to fly through Len's favorite kind of training.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hands-Off Learning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueStar1937](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueStar1937/gifts).



> I tried going maximum fluff here.

Barry is one of those dragons that either needs patient instruction or learning by doing. Len’s trying to decide which would be better as he overlooks Central from Barry’s assigned cave. The older dragons have taken Barry to and from it, but anyone can see that it’s past time for the little one to learn.

Barry, no bigger than a Chihuahua, cowers on Len’s shoulder pad as his handler tells him this. “I don’t see why I can’t just _run_ down,” he says, scuffing his talons near Len’s neck.

“You don’t have to use your wings,” Len says, “but I ain’t leaving here until I know you know _how_ to use ‘em.”

Barry grumbles.

“Hey. You wanna be a strong dragon, right?” more grumbling. “Then come ‘ere.”

Len pries him from his shoulder, walking towards the edge of the cave. Barry recoils against his chest—“ _Look_.”

As they watch the other dragons glide and pump their wings, some play-fighting, some nuzzling, some showing off tricks to their friends, Len is almost tempted to tell Barry that everything the light touches is their kingdom. But time and place.

Reluctantly, Barry admits, “Flying looks fun.”

“Then…” Len readies himself, “ _try it_!”

Barry squeals as he’s thrown from his cave, not at all unlike a frightened piglet. There’s nowhere for him to catch his talons and run. Len hears the instant he realizes this, the squealing reaching to the height of a banshee’s screech. He closes his eyes, plummeting to the earth—

Until…he isn’t.

Slowly, Barry peeks open one eye…and then the other. Blinking owlishly, he whips his head around, and sure enough, his wings are flapping.

His delighted eyes spark with yellow lightning as they look at Len. They get brighter when they see Len’s proud grin.

“Fun?” Len calls.

Barry crees. In less than a second, he’s zooming all over the fort, becoming a blur just like when he runs. Some dragons barely make it out of his way in time.

At the end of five minutes, the blur barrels right into Len, knocking them both to the floor. Luckily, most of Barry’s case files provide a nice cushion. Len’d hate to die now.

Barry’s trilling up a storm, nuzzling under Len’s chin. Not even Ray had been this affectionate.

Len rubs his heaving sides and murmurs, “Better?”

Barry mumbles, “Hungry.”

“Bet you are.”

Lisa’s all too happy to glide them to the adolescent feeding yard. Sara coos over Barry, baby-talking and tickling him until the baby dragon is a mess of flailing limbs and happy noises in Len’s hands.

He’s so… _cute_.

* * *

“ _Snart!_ ”

Len sighs through his nose. “Director West,” he replies steadily, “to what to I owe the _pleasure_?”

The centaur’s nearly purple in the face, arms crossed over his chest and hoofs pounding the dirt. What a pleasant conversation this will be.

“What is this I hear about your _throwing_ my son out of his cave?!” West thunders.

Len raises an eyebrow. “Flight training. You’ve seen me do it before.”

“No I have _not_ , Snart! What if he didn’t pick himself up? Hm? You could’ve _killed_ him!”

Anger clenches Len’s muscles. “Did you really think I’d just toss him out without a safety net? That I’d tossed _any_ of them out without one? My sister was waiting on the ground on the off chance Barry couldn’t do it, and let me tell you something, Director: I would have been _very_ surprised if Barry didn’t catch on. From a handler’s perspective, he is a quick learner, bright, and cooperative. There was not a doubt in my mind he was capable enough to handle himself. But by all means,” he sneers, “if you wanna ask him to transfer, go right ahead.”

Barry enters their argument late. “Transfer?” he squeaks. This time, he doesn’t crawl up Len’s body or wait for an arm. As if to prove Len’s point, he’s on his handler’s shoulder in one fluid aerial leap. “What transfer? I’m not getting a transfer!”

He wraps his tiny arms around Len’s neck and refuses to budge. Len huffs past the helpless affection warming his chest.

“There won’t be any transfers, Barry,” he says. Looking West in the eye, “ _Right_ , Director?”

West clenches his jaw. “Barry, he threw you—”

“Joe, he doesn’t have any wings,” Barry interrupts, “how else was he supposed to teach me?”

“He could’ve _spoken_ to you about it!”

Barry snorts a few sparks. “But I wanted to _fly_! I was just a little scared.”

“Yeah and he took advantage of that!”

“No he didn’t, Joe! Stop!”

Len’s eye twitches as Barry’s lightning burns the side of his throat. He’s taken far worse when handling dragons, so he doesn’t say anything about it; there’s ointment in his quarters for it.

“Len is _mine_!” the dragon cries, “Mine!”

Len rolls his eyes. “Yes, Barry,” he deadpans, “allll yours. Goodbye, West.”

Joe harrumphs as they walk away.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
